Welcome to Podium! Issue 10. Podium publishes exclusive work by students who have participated in an Unterberg Poetry Center workshop or class— from first-time to seasoned. At the end of each semester, instructors select either a novel excerpt, short story, poem or other work by one student from each class to showcase his/her work in Podium.

In honor of Polish poet Wisława Szymborska, who died on Wednesday, 92nd Street Y’s Unterberg Poetry Center offers this tribute—a discussion of her work by Clare Cavanagh, her award-winning translator, on March 20, 2011 at 92Y. This clip also features a reading of the poem “Identification” in both English and Polish.

“I remember being at a conference in Poland with American and Polish poets,” Cavanagh recalled, “and somebody talked about Szymborska—one of the very well-known American poets (fortunately I don’t remember his name anymore)—as being a straight-speaker, and I just felt like slapping him. She’s the opposite of a straight-speaker. She’s a master of voice, and she listens to so many kinds of voices and creates the illusion of straight-speech while challenging what straight-speech even is.”

This year’s Harkness Dance Festival, wrote The New York Times, “brings exciting news: The slippery choreographer Doug Elkins has updated his 1990 dance ‘’Mo(or)town,’’ a play on Shakespeare’s “Othello” set to the music of Motown.”

This year’s 18th Harkness Dance Festival season, entitled STRIPPED/DRESSED, is being curated by choreographer Doug Varone, a former dancer with Lar Lubovitch, who opens the festival on February 17. Varone invited each artist to present a Stripped/Dressed evening. In the first half – “Stripped” – the artists show the skeleton and seeds of the full work, stripped of theatrical devices, as one might see it in a studio rehearsal. Then they present the work “Dressed” with costumes and lights in a more theatrical setting.

Tea, a beverage that is second only to water in popular consumption around the world, also has a centuries-old reputation for its ability to maintain or improve our health. But are you getting all the health benefits?

Well + Good spoke with Heidi Kothe-Levie, a licensed acupuncturist certified in Oriental medicine and former senior tea specialist for Ito-En. “A lot of research has shown benefits for cancer prevention, cardiovascular health, and cognitive health,” Kother Levie told Well + Good. “But if you’re drinking tea for overall disease risk reduction, it all comes down to how frequently you’re drinking it, how you’re brewing it, and what kind it is.” She gave four tips for getting the most health benefits from your tea:

This should be welcome news for anyone with budding musicians in their home, or anyone who might be considering learning how to play an instrument. And we have more good news: The 92nd Street Y School of Music open house is this Sunday, February 5. Explore the School of Music, meet members of our brilliant faculty and find out more about their instruments and pedagogical methods.

He doesn’t like to rush.
He doesn’t multitask.
That’s why he feels at home on Shabbat.

Who is it? Coco the sloth. His preference for moving very slowly makes Shabbat (the Jewish day of rest) his favorite day of the week, and by extension, Shababa™ at 92Y his happiest! Even if you don’t celebrate Shabbat, Coco is all about taking a break, slowing down and enjoying the people around you.

If you’ve never met Coco, here’s an introduction:

See more of Coco – and Karina Zilberman – at Shababa™ the Concert on February 5 (and still get home in time for the Super Bowl). And you can pick up a copy of the brand new Shababaland CD (which includes the full version of “Coco’s Song”). Coco is a regular at Shababa™, a warm, inclusive and growing Jewish community that gives families lots of different ways to explore and celebrate Jewish life and culture. Just think how Kristin Bell would react if she ever attended!

Anthony Prozzi is Senior Interior Designer at Ford Motor Co. He’ll be participating in the Anatomy of Fashion panel at the inaugural State of Style Summit on February 7 at 92YTribeca. Kicking off New York Fashion Week, State of Style Summit – presented by 92Y, StyleCaster Media Group and by Ford - is packed with amazing panels; check out the full schedule here.

Prozzi was gracious enough to participate in the 92Y Culture Klatsch Q&A. What kind of radio does he listen to? “101.9, Detroit’s NPR all day, and late weekend nights I come across something broadcasting from the University of Windsor, Canada.” Read more below.

Where do you go for news when you start your day?The New York Times app from my iphone; followed by a multitude of texts and emails from some very well read friends.

How much do you use Twitter and Facebook (or other social networking services)?
I’m not one to “ tweet .” I’m not the best facebooker either. I prefer my privacy, but when I took first place in a skating championship it felt good to post and hear congrats from my friends around the globe.